Educational appliance



Jan. 1, 1929.

. l 1,696,987 Y N. Y. 'rRolDL EDUCATIONAL APPLIANCE Filed May 21, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 j 01d Mo'lher Goose. y

Here dea Mother //fv //f //f Goose and her Merry She tell /Zz NVE/v7?? you about 1i1t1e BoPeeP and WJ@ 70W/M L J Patented Jan. l, 192,9.

narran stares- NELLIE YORK` TROIDL, OF NIGARA L'LS, NEW YORK.

nnUoATioNAL APPLINGE.

Application lel May 21,

rlhis invention relates to educational appliances, toys or devices for use in teaching or imparting knowledge to and entertaining young children, particularly in school work.

Certain objects of the invention are to provide an educational appliance or toy which is constructed and adapted to teach the elementary principles of weaving, that is, the interlacing of a plurality of strips or strands of material to produce a mat or woven piece and the component strips of which bear correlated matter such that, in addition to teaching weaving, the device is also adapted to enable achild, or other person, to associate or combine a plurality of strips in a particular order, and by such association, is also of use for self-teaching elementary work, such, for'example, as simple spelling, arithmetic and primary reading and language through methods of self-verification.

Other objects are to provide a device of this character comprising a-series of connected, parallel strips of suitable material forming a foundation mat or sheet, and a series of separate, detached, analogous strips adapted to be interwoven or combined in alternating order with the connected strips; also to provide the connected strips and the separate strips with correlated pictures or parts thereof, letters or other symbols whereby a child can readily determine the particular intended position or positions of the separate strips with reference to the connected strips or foundation mat and assemble the several strips in the intended order; also to provide a holder or container in which a plurality of such mats or sheets and the complementary separate strips are retained in an orderly arrangement convenient for use; and also to provide an educational appliance or toy having the other novel and improved characteristics hereinafter specilied and claimed.

.ln the drawings: y

Fig. 1 is a view of one face of an educational appliance embodying the invention showing some of the separate strips partly withdrawn from the connected strips of the foundation mat or sheet.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the device completely assembled. y n f Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view thereof, Ashowing the separate strips, in an alterna- 1926. serial No. 110,665.

tive'arrangement, relatively to the connected strips. f

Fig. 4 is a face view of a plurality of the connected strips or foundation mat, arranged in a holder or container, said holder having pockets for the reception of the separate strips. f s

Fig. 5 is a face view of one side of a modi-` lied embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 6 is a face view of the opposite side thereof. s

Fig. 7 is a face view of one of the separate strips of Fig. 6, detached.4

Inthe embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1-4, the appliance comprises a foundation sheet or mat 10 composed of a plurality of connected strips or strands 11 extending in parallel relation preferably edge to edge, and a plurality of separate or detached analogous strips or strands 12 adapted to be interwoven or assembled with the strips 10 so as to extend crosswise or at an angle relatively thereto. The mat 10 and the separate strips 12 are made ofsome suitable thin and flexible material, such as cardboard or boolr linen.

In producing the mat 10 shown, a sheet of the material of suitable size is cut to provide the parallel strips or strands 11 by forming spaced parallel slits 14 in the'sheet, the opposite ends of the strips 11 being left connected by the uncut end portions 15 of said sheet or mat. The separate strips 12l are preferably of the same width as the connected strips 11, and are also preferably, though not necessarily, equal in length to the combined width 'of the several strips 11, so that when interwoven with the latter, they will terminate at the side edges of the mat.

As shown in Figs. 1-4 of the drawings, the mat strips 1l extend in a vertical direction, and pictures 16k and ynumbers 17 are displayed thereon in horizont-al rows.v The pictures alternate with the numbers in keach horizontal row, and also alternate with the numbers vertically on the strips 11,l so that the pictures and numbers in'alternatehori- Zonta-l rows are in staggered relation. The

several pictures 16 in each horizontal row are alike or of similar character, but differ from the pictures in rows 18.

Likewise, each of the detached strips 12y the other horizontal Y has alternating` pictures 16a and numbers 17 thereon, the pictures on each strip being the saine or ot similar character as the pictures 16 in oneotthe horizontal rowsot themat strips 11.

The reverse faces of the mat strips 11 and of the separate strips 12 also preferably bear pictures and numbers disposed in alternate rows as above described, the pictures being ditlerent from those on the front face, and the numbers also being` different, or 'they nay `be the same numbers, diilerently arranged, so that,zfor example, onetaceot the completed mat can exhibit examples in addition and the` other.' :tace can eiihibit-exaniples in subtraction.

:The separate. strips 12 are. adapted. to be inte1laced-. n'. interwoven. with theY strips 11, the child being` first required to 4match the `pictiu'es on the separate strips with those on the mat ips todctermine in whicl'rhorizontal rowsortlie niet l10 the strips 12 areto be placed. However, there are 'tour possible ways. in which each oit the separate strips 12 can be inserted in its intended.horizontal po.- sition, namely,.by startingover the lirst matstnip 11 withv one :tace ot. the strip 12 up wards; startingv under thelirstma-tstrip ywith the sa-netaceo't said strip 12 upwards; or starting over said-.tiret mat strip with thereverse taceot" strip f 12; upwards; or, finally, lay-starting'. the strip 12. under 'the irst mat stripy with said reverse face otsaid.- strip 12 upwards.

En picture. matching and number work, however,.two.only of these four positions. are correct` foreach strip. Theairstposition-is obtained by insertingthe separate stripi12 for` the top. row, for. example, in its correct horizontal :line with the 'tace thereot Euppermost on which-.appears the 1picturescorre-- spending jto :the pictures in the upper row of themat, and starting` under thedrstmat strip l'land over: the next, and' se onpas# shown 1in Figi. The succeeding. strips 12 will. start alternately` over and under the irstimat, strip until all are inserted,` and itY the child hascor- .reetlyV positioned allol" the strips, theinuinlhersen-the strips 141 and 12 will be. correlated o .to i correctly ,form the arithinetica-l examples or problems reqnir.ed-,.as indicatedein Fig; 2, which shows the strips in place. 4lVhen so arranged. the .pictureson the -niat strips will be hidden by the exposed parts oit the separate strips 12',` andthe lpictures on the .latter strips 12 l.willzbe likewise. .hidden by the er:- posed parts. ofi stnips; 11. Neverthelessu the childhas been requiredr todo picture matchng in obtaining therequired results innumber work, andi incidently is acquainted,V with the method-,ot weaving'.

It it is desired ,toteach'weaving and also to amuse; the child,.then thessecend on alternative correct position for the stripswcansbe used, the-childthen.startinggthe-top strip 12 which the separates with the same side uppermost as just described, but inserting the strip over the first mat strip and under the next, and so on, as indicated in` Fig. 8. Thisarrangement will cause. all of the picturesonthe strips 11 and 12 toibe exposed, the pictures on the strips 12 alt,ernating4 with like or similar pictures on said strips^11 inthe respective horizontal rows, while.` all the numbers on the strips 11 and'12 will be concealed by the exposed parts of the respective strips. The same procedure, is required for the other sides of the mat 10 and strips 12. yItv will be4 apparent that the device is adapted .torteaching color matching aswell as picture matching-` simply bypro-l vidingA color patches on the several strips adapted to matched gin; rows in thesarne manner that the pictures are-,arranged and matched. Thus the device can be employed simply to match the pictures or.v colors for amusing` the child, or to :form the. esan'iplein arithmetic or other educational worlt, depending upon wh-ic-liv way the4 strips are wovensot that the `device, serves either as a toy, or for educational purposes, both. to teach the methodof weaning and also for instruction -in number .and other Y element-ary wor-lr.

`Freferably a numberof the mats f1.0 con structed asdescribed and each bearing different setsot pictures andnumbers are arranged in a suitable holder or container, for instance, they are bound'in book form,.betweencovers er leaves 30 eta folder, seejlig., ,4, andthe leaves 30 are preferably provided on their innersideswith narrow pockets 31in cachot K ps tor vone of the, mats can .be-retained and from. which; theyz ,canbe easily; withdrawn to beweren. gintov the mats.

rElms a number ot mats, and' their complementary strips canE be .convenientlyhe-pt, in order, and prevented. from beingscattered about when not inl use. f

In the slightly modified embodiment of .the invention@ shown. in Figs. l 5 7, g a, mat, 10a is disclosediinwhich the connected. stripslln and theseparatestrips `12a bear comples inentary .parts vor sections .ot a` singlet picture or otherE matter. In theiexample in. Fig.; 5, there `isshowna picture formed. by weaving the. strips 12@ into ,the strips 11, and com prising one taceoifj the mat,while in Figbis shown the other taceot the mat bearingrcading` matter relating'. .to saidpictu-re; Partpf this reading` matter is disposed on. the strips 11"L and the remainder on theistrips l12a (Fig. 7)-, so thatx when the. stripsaref properly as- V. s einblsed`l` to complete the. picture, the ;\vords et the; reading-matter also will., ,be correctly Icorrelated `tacomplete thel story. .ln this case there is only one.,-.correct ,posi;tion for each of the separate sti ips12ain the-mat.10.

I claim as my invention 1. An appliance of thefcharactendeslbed,

. comprising a plurality; Qtrpafrallel Strips retained in position edge toedge, and a plurahty oi separate strips adapted to'be interwoven with said other strips to form a mat,

said parallel strips and said separate strips having correlated matter' thereon adapted to determine a particular position for each of said separate strips in said mat.

2. An appliance of the character described comprising a plurality ci parallel strips of flexible material arranged edge to edge and connected at their ends, and a plurality of separate strips adapted to be interwoven with said other strips to form a mat, said connected strips and said separate strips hav-` ing correlated matter thereon adapted to indicate a particular position for each of said separate strips in said mat.

3. An educational appliance comprising a plurality7 of parallel strips of ieXible material arranged edge to edge and connected at their ends, and a plurality of separate strips adapted to be interwoven with said connected strips in a manner to instruct one in mat weaving, said connected stripscand said separate strips having correlated matter thereon adapted, when said strips are assembled in a predetermined relation, to also instruct one in primary educational subjects.

1l. An educational appliance comprising` a plurality oit connected parallel strips arranged edge to edge, and a plurality of sepa-` rate strips adapted to be interwoven with said other strips to it'orm a mat, said connected strips and said separate strips having matter thereon adapted, when said strips are interwoven in one order to correlate and expose certain parts of said matter and conceal lwoven in a different order to correlate and expose the previously concealed matter, and conceal the previously exposed matter.

- 5. An appliance of thecharacter described comprising a plurality of connected parallel strips arranged edge to edge, and a plurality of separate strips adapted to be interwoven with said connected strips and to extend at an angle thereto to form a mat, each of said separate strips being adapted to be assembled in a number of positions in said mat, certain only oi said positions being correct, and said separate and connected strips having matter thereon for guiding one in determining a predetermined, correct position or each of said separate strips in said mat.

6. An appliance of the character described comprising a plurality of connected parallel strips ar anged edge to edge, and a plurality of separate strips adapted to be interwoven with said other strips and to extend at an angle thereto to form a mat, each of said parallel strips having a plurality ot diierent subjects thereon arranged to form rows of similar subjects when the mat is assembled extending transversely of said strips, and each row having dierent subjects from those in the other rows, and each ot' said separate strips having subjects thereon corresponding to the subjects in one of said rows on said parallel strips, whereby said separate strips can be selected and interwoven to correlate the subjects thereon with those on said other strips.

NELLIE YORK TROIDL. 

